Best Bets – January, 03 2005

Hyatt’s Faster Free Nights is back! Hyatt Gold Passport members can earn a free night after every two stays before Sept. 30 when they pay with a MasterCard. This perennial Freddie Award contender remains one of the best values in the industry. Free nights must be redeemed before Nov. 30. Registration is required at http://www.goldpassport.com.

Hawthorn Suites is making travel more rewarding with its “Stay Here. Stay There. Stay Free.” promotion designed for members of Hyatt’s Gold Passport program. Through Dec. 31, Gold Passport members can earn a free night at Hawthorn Suites with every stay at a different location.

That means that members need only complete one stay at Hawthorn, and for every stay thereafter at a different location, they will earn a free night during the promotion period.

The free nights can be redeemed at participating Hawthorn Suites through June 30, 2005. For complete promotional terms and conditions, visit http://www.goldpassport.com.

Northwest Airlines WorldPerks has launched an extremely rich telecommunications offer for the fall. With “Mileage Connection” members can earn up 60,000 miles by signing up for various partner services — Northwest will match the bonuses you receive, effectively doubling them.

Members may take advantage of any WorldPerks mileage offer from MCI, Nextel, EarthLink or T-Mobile to qualify for the Mileage Connection promotion.

Registration is required. Check out http://www.nwa.com for details.

Through Sept. 30, every purchase made at www.aadvantageeshopping.com will earn double AAdvantage miles when members register for American’s “Multiply Your Miles” promotion. And, if you dislike the mall scene (even the online kind), you can still earn double miles by using a variety of other AAdvantage partners, including AAdvantage Cruise, AAdvantage Hotel, PeoplePC, Earthlink, Alamo, Avis, FTD.com and a host of others.

To take advantage of this offer, members must register at http://www.aa.com. If you’ve made some purchases from any of these partners since Aug. 2 and are kicking yourself for not seeing this earlier, halt your self abuse and commence registering — the earned miles for all qualifying transactions made during the promotional period will be doubled as long as registration is completed before Sept. 30.

The Priority Club Double Points or Double Miles promotion may be over, but the promotion wizards at InterContinental aren’t done yet. From Sept. 13 through Dec. 17, members will earn 3,000 bonus points or 1,000 bonus miles for every three nights, up to 30,000 points or 10,000 miles. See http://www.priorityclub.com/30000 for details

Beginning Sept. 1, Best Western Gold Crown Club International members will earn double points or miles with every qualified stay at Best Western from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. No waiting for your second stay, no strings attached — just double points or miles. Registration is required. Check out http://www.goldcrownclub.com for details.

Judging from the collective sigh of relief from parents everywhere, it’s back to school time again. United Mileage Plus is now giving those parents a little extra. Until Dec. 31, United Mileage Plus Visa cardmembers will earn two miles for every dollar spent (exceeding $1,000) paid directly to schools. This includes tuition for colleges and universities, as well as public and private elementary and secondary schools, school bookstore purchases, season football tickets, school donations and more.

There are also school supply offers available with OfficeMax.com, L.L. Bean, Bed Bath and Beyond, and IKEA. Visit http://www.united.com for details.

Though these credit card bonuses rank at number eight on our list, we’re calling them our “Sweet Fifteens” (as in 15,000 miles/points).

Delta SkyMiles: Sign up for the Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card by American Express and earn 15,000 bonus miles with your first purchase. To apply, visit http://www.delta.com or call (888) 225-4311 and use promo code 1NK.

Marriott Rewards: Apply for the Platinum Business card and earn 15,000 bonus points upon first purchase. To apply, visit http://www.marriott.com. And if you apply for the Marriott Rewards Visa Signature card, you’ll not only earn the bonus with your first purchase, you’ll also receive a complimentary upgrade to Silver elite status. Call Bank One at (888) 624-9604 for more information.

Southwest is extending its online bonus credit offer until Dec. 31. Rapid Rewards members who book online at http://www.southwest.com will receive one bonus credit for each roundtrip booked and flown by the end of the year (a half-credit bonus will be awarded if a one-way travel segment is booked). This adds up to a total of three credits for a roundtrip flight booked on the site.

Rewards Network has partnered with US Airways Dividend Miles. Through Sept. 30, Rewards Network members will earn an additional five miles per U.S. dollar spent on room rates at participating hotels. That means a $300 hotel stay could earn 3,000 Dividend Miles — not a bad bounty, that.

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